The Hillcrest High girls’ tennis team repeated its second-place finish at the state championships — and celebrated their state champion, sophomore Nivedita Bakshi with the third singles 5A state title.

Bakshi’s triumph came after a year of determined preparation following her loss in the 2024 state final. 

“After losing last year, I set this goal for myself to win this year, and I worked really hard,” she said. “I was really happy that I was able to do it.”

Her coach, Creighton Chun, had faith in his player. 

“Niv was definitely one of the favorites for state,” Chun said. “She was seeded third, but I knew she could win.”

That confidence came from a season of both physical and mental growth. After last year’s heartbreak, Bakshi made a commitment to increase her strength and aggressiveness on the court. 

“At the start of the season, my coach said I needed to work on getting stronger,” she explained. “Last year, I wasn’t able to win was because I just wasn’t aggressive enough. I took that to heart and really worked on improving my strength. I trained hard so I was able to get myself in better shape for the state tournament.”

Her training included hours on the ball machine, hitting “winners” — shots so strong and precise that her opponents couldn’t touch them. 

“That really helped prepare me,” she said. “I ran on the treadmill, worked with the medicine ball and went into state feeling more confident in every way.”

She kept her concentration during the state bracket. 

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything; there’s so many people watching, lots of cheering,” she said. “But I didn’t lose focus on just playing my game. That really helped me stay focused throughout the entire tournament.”

When she clinched the title, her Hillcrest teammates and parents were there to celebrate. 

“The team was really happy for me,” she said. “It was so great to celebrate with my coaches, my parents and everyone who came to watch. It was a great day.”

Chun said Bakshi’s title was part of a total team effort that earned Hillcrest another strong team finish. 

“After the first day of state, with our double pairs not advancing and not getting us any points, I knew we couldn’t win the overall title — but we had a great chance for second,” Chun said. “Our singles players really came through. Niv’s win helped in that runner-up finish. We’re proud of what the girls did.”

First singles sophomore Luci Gonzalez finished second after winning second singles in 4A last year. Second singles freshman Joshya Yerrapureddy also was a state runner-up.

Hillcrest’s second-place finish came behind repeat champion Woods Cross, but the Huskies’ depth and youth promise even more success ahead. 

“We’re losing only one senior,” Chun said about his team which won its fourth straight region title. “Our singles players are all sophomores and freshmen, so we’re going to be strong for the next couple of years.”

For Bakshi, the victory was as much about mindset as muscle. 

“I learned to hit my shot, stay focused and enjoy it,” she said. “You only get four years to play high school tennis, so you have to make the most of every match.”

Off the court, the sophomore standout is as dedicated to academics as she is to her forehand. She carries a 4.0 GPA, has taken multiple Advanced Placement classes, and plans to enter Hillcrest’s International Baccalaureate program next year. 

“It’s really challenging to do both academics and tennis at a high level,” she said. “But I think it helps me stay focused and use my time well.”

Her long-term dreams are ambitious — both in tennis and in science. 

“If I can, I’d love to play college tennis,” she said. “My dream school is Princeton. I’m very STEM-focused, so maybe I’ll go into aerospace or electrical engineering.”

For now, Bakshi is already setting her next target: “I’ll keep practicing with my dad, keep playing with my teammates and hopefully win another two state titles before I go off to college.”

Coach Chun believes she — and Hillcrest — are just getting started. 

“We were the team to beat last year and again this year,” he said. “Now everyone knows who Hillcrest is.”